Peoria making push for state university, higher education programs

Friday

Oct 12, 2012 at 12:01 AMOct 12, 2012 at 11:04 AM

Slightly more than 50 percent of Peoria School District 150 teachers held master's degrees in 2011, according to the latest school report card. At Dunlap Community Unit School District 323, the figure was 48.5 percent.

Pam Adams

Slightly more than 50 percent of Peoria School District 150 teachers held master's degrees in 2011, according to the latest school report card. At Dunlap Community Unit School District 323, the figure was 48.5 percent.

The two districts may have different demographics - Peoria, a struggling urban district next to Dunlap, the high-achieving suburban district - but the percentage of teachers in both districts is lower than the statewide average of 60 percent.

To John Erwin, president of Illinois Central College, that's one of many examples that show why Peoria needs a four-year public university.

"How could the state have overlooked us?" asks the community college president. "That's amazing to me. In a metropolitan area of 375,000, we don't have a state university, yet Macomb has a state university? That's a huge oversight."

Western Illinois University, in Macomb, is in a rural area.

An accessible, affordable public institution in Peoria could raise education levels for teachers, in part by eliminating the necessity to commute to Illinois State University for advanced education degrees, Erwin says. More importantly, it could raise overall education levels in an area that generally lags behind state and national averages in attainment of graduate and professional degrees.

In turn, that highly-educated work force would help the area attract and retain young professionals and businesses.

"It's a work force preparation issue," he says.

Erwin and Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis plan to push that point next week when University of Illinois President Robert Easter visits for a luncheon with community and business leaders at the Civic Center.

While Erwin wants an opportunity to talk to Easter about the possibility of U of I partnering with ICC to create selected master's degree programs in Peoria, Ardis has set up a meeting with Susan Koch, chancellor of University of Illinois Springfield, who will also attend the luncheon.

It's no secret Erwin, Ardis and others want a state university in Peoria. The City Council has set developing a strategy to bring a state school to Peoria as a "high priority."

One strategy shaping up, or at least the potential Erwin describes, would be testing the demand by extending the footprint UIS already has in the Peoria area, beginning by offering a master's of education program.

UIS already offers a master's of business administration on ICC's downtown campus. ICC can provide classrooms on the North Campus for a master's of education program, eliminating the need for new buildings, Erwin says.

Ardis looks for a four-year school to fill in the gap left by ICC's planned departure from the Downtown campus in 2013. The presence of a four-year college Downtown, combined with the nearby U of I College of Medicine at Peoria, two hospital nursing schools and Caterpillar Inc. would give downtown an "exciting" new education focus, Ardis says.

Both men are aware of the challenges, from the state's strained financial position to the growth of online education. They are also careful to praise the work of Bradley University and other nearby selective private institutions while stressing a new four-year public school would not take away from their programs.

Ardis says Peoria Promise, the program that offers free tuition to ICC for Peoria County high school students, will increase the demand for a four-year school.

Erwin points out that the Bloomington-Normal area maintains a public university, Illinois State, a private university, Illinois Wesleyan, and a community college, Heartland.

"The existence of each raises the level for all people to have access to education."

Pam Adams can be reached at 686-3245 or padams@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @padamspam.